Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1887-06-18
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by H.RIDER HAGGARD.
Futhor't Rms SolonaoEsMlceS StSEtc.

Of greatness, and even here there lies an ex-
quisite Joy at its core. For everything has its
compensations Nerves such as these can
thrill with high happiness that viii sweep
unfelt over the mass of men. Thus he who is
stricken with grief at the sight of the worlds
misery-as all great and good men must be-
is at times lifted up with joy by catching some
faint gleam of the almighty purpose that
underlies it ALL So 1t was with the Son of
Man in his darkest hours; the spirit that
enabled him to compass out the measure of
the worlds suffering and sin enabled him also,
knowing ther purposes, to gaze beyond them;
and thus it is, too, with those deep hearted
children of his race, who partake, however
dimly, of his divinity.
And SO, even in this hour of her darkest
bitterness and grief, a CLEAN of comfort strug
gled to jess breast just as the first ray of
dawn was struggling through the stormy
night. She would sacrifice herself to her
sister-that she had determined on; and hence
came that cold CLEAN of happiness, for there
is happiness in self sacrifice, whatever the
cynical may say. At first her woman's nature
had risen in rebellion against the thought.
Why should she throw her life aways She
had as good a right to him as Bessie, and she
hileW tLht ny lIe Ol HtE own udiiu
she could hold him against Bessie in all her
beauty, however far things had gone between
them; and she believed, as a jealous woman
is prone to do, that they had gone much
farther than they had.
But by and by her better self rose up and
mastered the promptings of her heart Bessie
loved him, and Bessie was weaker than she
and less suited to bear pain, and she had
sworn IN har dvinp rnotbar-for RpeSia had
been her mothers darling-to promote her
happiness and, come what would, to comfort
and protect her by every means in her power.
1t was wide oath, and she was only child
when she took it, but it bound her conscience
none the less, and surely it covered this. Be
sides, she dearly loved her-far, far more than
she loved herself. No, Bessie should have her
lover, and she should never know what it had
cost her to give him up; and as for herself,
well, she must go away like wounded buck,
and hide till she got wel--or died.
She laughed a drear little laugh, and went
aNl brushed her haK just as the broad lights
OF the dawn came streaming across tue misty
veldt But she did not look at her face again
in the glass; she cared no more about it now,
Then she threw herself down to sleep the
sleep of utter exhaustion before it was time
to go out again and face the world and her
new sorrow.
Poor Jess! Loves young dream had not
overshadowed her for long 1t had tarried
Just three hours. But it had left other
dreams behind.
"Uncle,' said jess that morning to old Silas
Croft as he stood by the kraal gate, where he
had been counting out the sheep-an opera
tion requiring great quickness of eye, and on
the accurate performance of which he greatly
prided himself.
"Yes yes, my dear, know what you are
going to say. 1t was very neatly done; it
isn't everybody who can count out 600 run
ming, hungry sheep without n mistake. But,
then, oughtnt to say too much, for you see
l have been at it for fifty years, in the Old
Colony and here. Now, many a man would
get fifty sheep wrong. There's Mel now
"Uncle." said she, wincing a little at the
name, as a horse with a sore back winces at
the touch of the saddle. "it wasn't about the
sheep that was going to speak to you. l
want you to do me favor"
"A favori Why, God bless the girl, how
pale you look mot but what you are always
pale Wen. what is it nowf'
II want to go up to Pretoria by the post
cart that leaves Wakkerstroom to-mor-
row afternoon, and to stop for couple of
HlOuunS Win my Vuho ANS'hiS-
have often promised to go, and have never
gone"
"Well, l never" said the old man. "My
stay at home jess wanting TO so away, and
without Bessie, tool What is the matter
with your
~ want change, uncle, do, indeed.
hope you won't thwart me in this"
Her uncle looked at her steadily with his
keen, gray eyes,
"Humphln he said, "you want to go away,
and there's an end of it. Best not ask too
many questions where maid is concerned.
Very well, my dear, go if you like, though
l shall miss you"
"Thank you. uncle" she said, and kissed
him, and then turned and went.
Old Croft took Off his broad hat and pol
ished his bald head with a red pocket hand
kerchief
"There's something up with that girl" he
said aloud to lizard that had crept out OF
the crevices of the stone wall to bask in the
sun. 81 am not such fool as l look, and
say that there is something wrong with her.
She is odder than ever" and he hit viciously
at the lizard with his stick, whereon it
promptly bolted into its crack, returning
presently to see if the irate "human" had de-
parted.
"However," he soliloquized, as he made his
way I'D to the house, 81 am glad that it was
not Bessie. / couldn't bear, at my time Of
life, to part with Bessie even for couple OF
months"